Keeper of Her Heart
by songbook
Summary: Jean-Luc and Beverly Picard are given an anniversary present from Q. What does Jack Crusher have to say about the romance? His sudden appearance brings on the true trials of love and regret; who is the keeper of Beverly's heart?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Ok, let's pretend Wesley never went off with the Traveler and actually went to Starfleet Academy like he was supposed to. And I've gotten mixed signals on what Jack Crusher actually did on the Stargazer, so I'm saying he was made First Officer at some point. Now this chapter will be pretty short, but the others should be longer. And also, I'm going to try and put a little snippet of the next chapter at the end so you can have something to look forward to. Now, please enjoy: _Keeper of Her Heart._

Wesley Crusher paced back and forth in his quarters at Starfleet Academy. He had finally graduated and it was his last night here at the Academy and soon he would be rejoining the Enterprise. Of course, that had taken quite a bit of effort, as the Captain had been his step-father for almost a year now. No one wanted anyone to think it was favoritism. Wesley almost smiled at the thought. Even if Jean-Luc Picard had not married Beverly Crusher, there would have always been some amount of favoritism.

The young adult stopped to look at the picture that was framed on his desk. His hand shook a little as he picked it up. It was an older hologram, with a young man who resembled him very much. Jackson Crusher stood tall and proud in his Starfleet uniform. It had been his inspiration for so many years to keep going. How long had it been since he had died? Close to twenty years?

Of course, when that picture had been taken, Jack Crusher had just become a Commander. First Officer of the Stargazer, to be specific. That man had a wife and son who he loved dearly. That man had also died three months after the honor was given to him. Unlike Wesley, Jack was engaged to a beautiful woman when he had graduated from Starfleet. Wesley had dated a couple of girls, but there was only woman on his mind and she was waiting for him on the Enterprise. Lieutenant Robin Lefler had been assigned to the Enterprise just four months before he had.

"I hope I make you proud, Dad," he whispered softly, adding the picture to his suitcase. He turned back to his bed only to find someone already on it.

"Hello, Mr. Crusher." Q was lounging on his bed, smiling at the man in front of him.

"Q! What are you doing here!" He immediately grabbed his phaser off the desk, pointing at the thing (it wasn't quite proper to call him human) in front of him. Q threw his hands up in defense.

"Hey, hey, I'm not here to cause mayhem and terror as you humans seem to always infer that I am." He swung his legs off the bed casually, stooping down to pick up the picture of Jack Crusher. "I'm actually here to offer you a graduation gift."

"A gift?" Uneasiness spread through his body. A gift from Q would never be simple or without strings attached. Plus, it would have to be entertaining for the omniscient being. Wesley attempted to snatch the picture back, but it was unsuccessful.

"Yes, a gift." Q looked at the picture with curiosity for a moment. "You miss him don't you?" The question stunned Wesley. Why would Q care if he missed his deceased father?

"Yes." Stay simple- don't give him anything to work with.

"I've talked to him. Pretty good guy. Funny sense of humor. Though every time I bring up meeting you or your mother, he turns very serious." Catching Wesley's not-so-subtle eye roll, he protested, "I promise. I can talk to the dead, the living, the unborn. It's part of my oh-so-clever nature."

"Whatever." Wesley went back to packing, hoping if he ignored him, Q would go away.

"I can also bring the dead back to life." The comment was so offhand, the new Ensign almost missed it. "Such as your father." This sentence was more deliberate.

"No way," Wesley stared at Q in disbelief. "That's impossible."

"Do you want to find out?" He knew the gleam in Q's eyes was dangerous, but the idea intrigued him. A few tense moments passed. Every sane thought was lost to the usually overly analytical Starfleet student.

"Yes."

Commander William Riker stood in front of the transport pad waiting for Wesley Crusher to arrive. It had been over a year since he had seen the young man and had gladly accepted the task of welcoming the new Ensign back. His mother was supposed to have been there to greet him, but the Doctor was delivering a premature baby. Captain Picard would be joining him soon to greet and debrief his stepson. However, when Chief O'Brian began the transfer, two beams of glittering light appeared on the pad.

"Chief?" The other man was scrambling to figure out why he had picked up two people instead of just Ensign Crusher.

"I'm working on it, sir. I only locked onto Crusher, I swear."

Wesley materialized on the pad and seemed to be in as much shock as the other two officers when a man in his forties appeared next to him. Riker drew his phaser and pressed his comm device to summon security.

"Wait!" shouted Wesley, turning to the man in curiosity. He was dressed in an older fashioned Starfleet uniform and had raised his arms in surrender in response to Riker and O'Brian's phasers. "Wait. He's my father."

"What?" Riker did not lower his phaser, instead he shifted his gaze to the young man on the transporter pad as if he had gone insane. "Wesley, your father is dead." Wesley was paying him no attention, however, but was staring intently at tall figure standing next to him.

"Wesley?" The dark haired handsome man turned slightly to the Ensign standing next to him. "How is this poss-"

"State your name and purpose!" shouted the First Officer. However, before he could identify himself, Captain Picard entered the room, flanked by Worf and Data, all three with phasers drawn. Picard stopped cold upon seeing the intruder in his Transporter room.

"Jack…" The name was hardly a whisper, but the Captain's face had gone a pale white, his eyes wide. His grip on his phaser tightened.

"Long time no see, huh, Johnny?"

Next time on _Keeper of Her Heart:_

_Beverly had just raised her eyes to the eerily quiet meeting room and her voice had stopped. If Picard had gone pale when he first saw Jack Crusher, it was nothing compared to what happened when Beverly laid eyes on the man she had once been married to. She grabbed the door frame to steady herself, letting a small gasp come from her lips. There he was…all she had once loved and lost…standing proudly in front of her. _


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I don't remember if I put it in the first chapter, but Star Trek does not belong to me. Also, I have the first five chapters written so I will be posting them daily. After that, I don't know how long it will take. :D Anyway, enjoy.

"Put the damn thing down, Johnny, I'm not here to hurt any of you." Jackson Crusher flashed his best friend a cheeky grin. "Plus, I'm more afraid you'll hit my son instead of me. I know how bad of aim you have."

"Jack…how in the world…" stammered Picard, still refusing to lower his weapon.

"Well, I have a message from some guy named 'Q', whoever the hell that is…seems to know you pretty well though." He chuckled, but swallowed his laughter as he saw the serious expressions on the officers' faces. "He says happy early anniversary, Captain, and happy graduation to my son. And I'm real, so please don't shoot me."

"Dad!" Wesley threw his arms around his father. Captain Picard nodded for his officers to lower their weapons, still shocked in disbelief. After kissing his son on the head, Jack turned back to Picard with Wesley still under his arm. Wesley practically dragged him off the transporter pad to introduce him to everyone. "Dad, this is Commander William Riker, First Officer of the Enterprise."

"Nice to meet you, sir," said Will with a grin similar to the one Jack had given earlier. He stepped forward to shake the other man's hand.

"And Lieutenant Worf and Data." Worf grunted, still unsure of the sudden appearance of the dead man. Data stepped forward, his hand extended. Jack took it with a slight hesitation, curiosity getting the best of him.

"Please excuse me for asking, but what exactly-"

"Data is an android," spoke Jean-Luc stepping toward his old friend. "I can't believe it's really you."

"How long has it been? I mean last time I saw Wesley he was a barely five years old and you had more hair than that." Jean-Luc let out a soft chuckle. The two exchanged a quick hug.

"Almost nineteen years now." Jack let out a whistle. "No wonder you look like you have seen a ghost." Before Jean-Luc could reply, Deanna Troi's voice came over the intercom.

"Troi to Captain Picard."

"Picard here."

"Sir, is everything all right? I was under the impression we had a Senior Staff meeting, but it seems only Lieutenant Le Forge and I are the only people who remembered."

"On our way, Counselor." He turned to his officers. "I believe we have somewhere to be."

"Sir, what about the Doctor?" Riker smiled sarcastically at his Captain, knowing Beverly Picard had yet to cross his mind. He got the reaction he had so hoped for. Picard lost the little color that had returned to his face.

"Oops," said Wesley. "I forgot about Mom." He weakly tried to grin in his stepfather's direction.

"Beverly is here? On a Starship?" Jack's eyes lit up at the mention of his wife's name. Picard pulled nervously at his uniform.

"She is the Chief Medical Officer," stated Data in complete oblivion to the awkward moment Dr. Picard's name brought up.

"Always knew she'd do good for herself." Picard shifted uneasily, the smirk on Will's face was getting wider and wider.

"Shouldn't we be going? We wouldn't want to keep the Counselor and Lieutenant Le Forge waiting," stated Worf making it clear that as Head of Security, he was still not comfortable with the odd situation. However, Captain Picard had accepted the man's identity and he posed no apparent threat, so the Klingon kept his opinions to himself.

"Sir, where do you want me?" asked Wesley. He did, after all, have a duty to perform.

"You are supposed to report to Engineering at 8000 hours. However, since that isn't for another thirty minutes, perhaps you and Jack should accompany the rest of us to the Observation Deck. Your mother should be there soon." Data and Worf had already headed in that direction, leaving Riker to walk with the other three.

"So, you're Jean-Luc's first officer." Riker knew he was going to get along great with Jackson Crusher.

"Yes, sir."

"He's a pain in the ass to deal with, huh?" Picard rolled his eyes as Riker and Wesley stifled their laughter.

"Commander Riker helped me with my lessons," Wesley praised, trying to save the Commander from the sarcastic answer he knew Riker would give in return. Jack nodded his appreciation to the younger man.

"How long have you been on this ship?"

"Well, Mom and I came on board about nine years ago, but I had to leave to go to Starfleet Academy. " They rounded another corner as Wesley continued to rattle on about the Enterprise, away missions, and the Academy.

Jean-Luc watched in regret as the young man tried to fill in his long lost father in on his entire life. A life Jack never got to see because of a decision he had made. And Beverly. He had no idea how his wife would react to her ex-husband's presence. She loved Jack until the day he died. What if those feelings had never left? It tore her up to lose Jack the first time- could she handle him coming back again? Could he?

They reached the Observation Deck much to quickly for the Captain's liking. And he wanted to slap the ever growing smirk off his Number One's face. Luckily, Beverly had not arrived yet, but Deanna Troi's look of shock and her undeniable ability to read her Captain's emotions was enough to make him more nervous than he already was.

"Wesley, it is so good to see you again!" The Counselor greeted her best friend's son warmly, wrapping him into a hug. There were so many different emotions flooding the room. Wesley was unquestionably excited and there was a warm sense of love flowing from him. Captain Picard, on the other hand, had only a small trace of excitement. It was being overwhelmed by guilt, nervousness, and a tiny sliver of fear. Riker was completely amused which did not seem to fit the situation at all. And it all had to do with the handsome man in the vintage Starfleet uniform. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you before. My name is Deanna Troi, ship's counselor."

"Jackson Crusher." Seeing the shocked look that crossed her face, he added, "No, I'm not dead. Blame some man named Q."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Crusher."

"There is something I'd like you to do, Counselor," started Picard only to have the empath interrupt him.

"Too late, Captain, she's about to come in." Everyone stared at the door in anticipation of the final member of the Senior Staff to enter. Sure enough, the doors slid open to reveal the red headed doctor who was bend over a PADD.

"I can't stay long. Lieutenant Ramirez's baby girl is very premature and we just managed to stabilized her, but I don't know how long that will last." Dr. Picard's hair was pulled up hastily and her eyes looked tired; evidence she had been overworked in delivering the troublesome baby. "I've ordered Alyssa to call me if-"

Beverly had just raised her eyes to the eerily quiet meeting room and her voice had stopped. If Picard had gone pale when he first saw Jack Crusher, it was nothing compared to what happened when Beverly laid eyes on the man she had once been married to. She grabbed the door frame to steady herself, letting a small gasp come from her lips. There he was…all she had once loved and lost…standing proudly in front of her.

"Beverly…" Jean-Luc whispered the words in concern. Deanna had already made her way to her friend's side and put a supporting hand on the other woman's shaking body.

"What the hell?" She had quickly recovered from her shock, a tribute to her training as a trauma doctor. Pushing her forward her complete disbelief to shield her hopeful thoughts, the fiery woman demanded answers.

"It's me, Bev, I promise." Her eyes finally left Jack's and searched for a response from her current husband.

"Apparently, he is a gift from Q," muttered Picard. Finally understanding, Beverly took a first step out of the doorway. It took her four more to throw herself into Jack's waiting arms; burying her face into his strong shoulders. Jack placed a simple kiss into her red tresses. The embrace had tears glittering in the doctor's blue eyes when she finally pulled herself out of the hug. Pulling away, she tried to speak, only failing miserably in her overwhelming astonishment.

"Jack…oh, goodness…how?" She placed her trembling hands on either side of his face, a smile coming through her tears. "How is this possible? "

"It was Q. I didn't believe he would really do it…" Wesley tried to explain the phenomenon, shrugging his shoulders. The joy on his face was an indubitable reaction to seeing his parents in each others' arms once again.

"Wes!" The others chuckled as the mother finally laid eyes on her son for the first time in months. She let go of Jack long enough to scoop her only child into her arms as well.

"Mom," he groaned, clearly embarrassed by her sudden display of emotion. Usually Beverly had more tact than to humiliate her grown child in front of his superior officers. However, seeing Wesley beside his father was more than she could have ever dreamed of. Finally, gaining some self control, she scanned the room for her current husband. Jean-Luc stood silently by his chair; his lips turned up in approval. His eyes granted her the permission she needed. Her relationship with Jack had ended so suddenly, ripped from her life, throwing her into an oblivion of confusion and heartache.

"Jack, it's so good to see you again," she murmured, "I missed you, so, so, much." The truth needed to be said and she knew Jean-Luc felt the same way. Of course, there was the matter of their marriage that needed to be addressed. But hopefully that could wait a bit longer. Jack had yet to mention her new ring.

"Hey, I'm here now. And stop crying…I can't deal with a hysterical woman." There was an ease to the joke and it caused a ringing laugh to escape Beverly's mouth. "You look beautiful, Bev." A blush brightened her cheeks at the steadfast and honest compliment. He bent forward to place a kiss on her lips, but she stopped him with a finger, causing him to chuckle. "This wouldn't have anything to do with that ring on your finger, would it?"

"Actually…about that…" He shook his head and grabbed her hand.

"Who do I have to thank for keeping you happy?"

"You're sure you will just thank him, right?" There was a serious look in her eyes, and if Jack wasn't mistaken there was also a hint of apprehension. "Not kill him? Because it's been almost two decades since you died and-"

"Actually, I think it would be pretty funny to see them fight for you, Doctor. I'm placing bets on Husband Number One." Will's sideline comment got him a smack from Deanna and a nice set of glares from the Picards.

"Perhaps we should go," said the ever diplomatic Deanna.

"Beverly…just tell me." Again she hesitated before glancing sidelong at her husband who was tugging on his uniform. Before anyone could speak, the communication system beeped.

"Ogawa to Dr. Picard." Beverly visibly grimaced, cursing her head nurse's bad timing. Her steeled eyes never left Jack's shocked ones as she removed her hand from his to touch the emblem on her chest to respond.

"I wish you hadn't found out this way," she whispered, silently conveying her sincerity. "Picard here."

Next time on _Keeper of Her Heart:_

_Just as Jack wheeled back to hit his opponent again, a slender hand grabbed his wrist from behind. Beverly twisted Jack's arm around, slamming him face first onto her desk with one fluid motion. Her other hand held a phaser that was pointed straight at Jean-Luc, a fury in her blue eyes. Lips pulled thin, she glared at her husband, ignoring the struggling man she had pinned to the desk with one hand._


	3. Chapter 3

"Doctor, her lungs are beginning to collapse, we need you down here immediately."

"On my way." Beverly let out a deep sigh, her eyes still locked on Jack, carefully gauging his reaction to the news. "Maybe you two should come back to my office and wait for me."

"Sounds reasonable," answered Jean-Luc. "We can postpone this meeting until a later time." The rest of his staff nodded and proceeded out the door. Dr. Picard took one last look at the two men she loved before turning on her heel and rushing out the door. She had a life to save- she did not have time to worry about her own.

Jackson and Jean-Luc left after the room had been evacuated, no words spoken between them. Wesley shifted unsure on his feet before taking a glance from Geordi to accompany him to engineering. This left the two men a very silent walk to Sickbay. Jean-Luc knew Jack was trying to decide if how angry he should be at his best friend. They managed to make it all the way to the Chief Medical Officer's office before Crusher finally turned on him.

"Nothing, huh?" There was anger in his dark eyes as he spat the words the moment the door shut. "Isn't that what you told me all those years ago? It was nothing…your personal feelings for my wife were nothing!"

"Jack, let me explain," reasoned Picard, trying to think of some viable justification.

"No, let me explain something to you. I knew you loved her. You always had. But I also knew that you would never, ever betray not only our friendship, but Beverly's trust as well. What gives you the right to marry my wife?" Jack was in Jean-Luc's face now, but the other man was not about to back down.

"It's been almost two decades, Jack. You've been dead for almost twenty years! It's not like she just forgot about you!"

"Damn it, that's not the point, Jean-Luc. I didn't expect her to become a nun after I died." He turned away, sweeping his hand through his dark hair. A pang of guilt swept through Picard as he knew that motion all too well. Crusher only did it when he was between a rock and a hard place- literally. And the only way to get out of the corner was to fight his way out of it. "Hell, I wanted her to get married and have life."

"She made her own life after you died. Beverly buried herself in her work and your son trying to find some way to escape the pain. It's not like she came out of this whole thing unscathed, Jack. I don't think she ever got over you." Jean-Luc had never admitted that to anyone before, certainly he never brought it up with his wife. He could live with Jack's memory slipping between them from time to time, but he was not about to give her back to him.

"She got over me long enough to shack up with you," Jack bit back, rounding on the Captain once again. Before Picard could respond, he threw up a hand. "No, don't tell me. You love her. That makes all the difference in the world." The sarcasm hurt, but not as much as what happened next.

"I do love her!"

His protest was met by the heavy fist of Jack's right hook. However, Picard had a couple years of Klingon training on his side, so he was ready for the immediate upper cut that followed. He grabbed Jack's arm and shoved back hard, throwing him sprawling onto the desk. Jean-Luc grabbed him roughly by the collar, shoving him against the wall.

"Stand down," he growled with as much authority as he could muster. Jack in turn jammed the heel of his boot into the inside of Jean-Luc's knee, causing the other man to release him. Picard managed to block the next two blows and land a hit of his own. He did not want to actually do any harm to Jack, but that idea did not seem to be going both ways.

Just as Jack wheeled back to hit his opponent again, a slender hand grabbed his wrist from behind. Beverly twisted Jack's arm around, slamming him face first onto her desk with one fluid motion. Her other hand held a phaser that was pointed straight at Jean-Luc, a fury in her blue eyes. Lips pulled thin, she glared at her husband, ignoring the struggling man she had pinned to the desk with one hand.

"Get the hell out of my Sickbay." Her voice was low and dangerous.

"Beverly," sputtered Jean-Luc, his hands up in a position of surrender.

"No, Captain. This is the only place on this ship I have permission to request security to throw you out of my Sickbay. I suggest you get back to your bridge and out of my domain before you really do get hurt enough to actually need to be here." He winced at her calling him out on rank, but he was not a stupid man. He took his leave of the room and headed to the Bridge, wincing at the shiner Jack had given him.

Once Picard left, Beverly released her hold on Jack Crusher. He had an abashed look on his face, but the anger still burned in his cheeks. She rolled her eyes at him and exited her office. Holding his wrist, Jack chased after her.

"Bev!" She whipped around, furious he would even talk to her.

"Don't 'Bev' me. I don't understand why two grown men insist on acting like cadets when presented with a conflict of interest." Jack sighed and held out his swelling wrist.

"I was just going to say I think you broke my wrist." He tried to give her a weak smile, but it turned into a grimace instead.

"Trust me. You would know if I broke it." Beverly motioned for him to sit on one of the biobeds. She reached for a tricorder and scanned the inflammation. "It's just sprained. If you hadn't resisted, I wouldn't have hurt you." Grabbing another tool off the table, she began to heal the area.

"How's the baby?" asked Jack, trying to make nice. The red head's shoulders were tense and the lines around her eyes (lines he had never seen before) were more pronounced. Even angry, she had aged well. Actually, more than well; Beverly was still quite the beautiful woman.

"Little Casey is going to be just fine. Dr. Selar already had her stabilized when I arrived. I was just running some additional tests when I heard you two deciding to act like complete idiots."

"Sorry about that."

"No you're not," she shot right back.

"Ok. No, I'm not sorry. But out of all the men in the galaxy, why him Beverly?" There was a desperate look in his eyes as he searched for answered. She hesitated before answering, finishing his wrist before letting out an exhausted sigh.

"Why is it important why Jean-Luc and I are together?"

"Because he's loved you since the day he met you. I just have to know." Beverly rolled her eyes at his prideful inquisition. She placed her tools back on the side table and allowed him to stand back up.

"It's not like we jumped into bed together right after the funeral." Seeing his disgusted look, she added, "Jean-Luc and I have only been married a year, Jack. We were friends for years before that. Nothing more until about a year and a half ago."

"A year?" Clearly the notion shocked him. She turned her back on him to put away the instruments.

"Yes. It will be a year on Friday." Sighing Beverly turned back to him. "After you died I didn't see him for years. He blamed himself for your death."

"What?" asked Jack. "It was an accident…no one was to blame…"

"I know that. You know that." She jabbed a finger into his chest. "For whatever reason, Jean-Luc didn't see it that way. Actually, he wanted nothing to do with us…When I was transferred to the Enterprise, Jean-Luc blocked my request. I had to get an Admiral to override it in order to get posted on his ship."

"He didn't want you as his CMO?"

"Believe it or not, no. We had an awkward year before they transferred me back to Starfleet Medical. I left Wesley on the Enterprise-you'd be proud of your son-and I just didn't belong planet side. So, I requested to return and they posted me back on the Enterprise."

"And you fell helplessly in love?" sarcasm dripped off his tongue. When she glared at him, he gave her an innocent smile, one she had seen Wesley wear when he was in trouble.

"No, we became friends again. Good friends. A lot happens on a Starship, especially this one for some reason." Dr. Picard reached for her medicine kit. "We went through a lot together, Jack. He may have always loved me, but he never pushed me into a relationship. Jean-Luc's been good to me. He loves me and he loves your son. Do you know what Wesley said when Jean-Luc asked him for permission to marry me?"

"What?" The Doctor started towards the door, pausing to face her ex-husband once more. He was standing there in his old Commander uniform, back straight, at attention. Everything she had fallen in love with nearly twenty years ago stared back at her.

"About damn time." Beverly left Jack with his thoughts as she headed to the Bridge.

Next time:

"_You tried to explain our relationship to him? In five minutes?" This time they both laughed at the concept. "Beverly, there are some things about us I still don't understand. We led the most confusing love life in the history of the subject. Hell, most of our life on the Enterprise together no one can comprehend and you tried to explain it to Jack?"_


	4. Chapter 4

Captain Picard massaged the side of his face as he entered the Bridge. Counselor Troi was already on her feet, eyes narrowed in concern. He waved her off and she hesitantly took her seat, exchanging a look with Commander Riker.

"Sir, I suggest you go to Sickbay and have that eye looked at," said Riker, managing to keep a straight face.

"I have officially been thrown out of Sickbay, Number One." He took his seat, refusing to meet his First Officer or Counselor's eyes.

"And the shiner?"

"Nothing I didn't deserve," came Picard's quick and reserved answer. Will was trying to keep his face neutral, but was failing miserably. Deanna glared in his direction for his lack of tact. He cleared his throat, busying himself with the monitor in front of him.

"Sir, I think maybe the three of you should sit down together and talk about his without physical altercations." Again, Picard put up a hand to stop her.

"Believe me, Counselor, I know." He put his head in his hands and let out a long sigh. "I just can't believe…"

"That your best friend is alive or that your wife's dead husband is alive?" Jean-Luc let out a dry laugh at Deanna's question.

"Why does there have to be a difference?" The bitterness was obvious, but his head immediately popped up at the sound of a new voice on the Bridge.

"Because men are jealous idiots." Beverly Picard stood on the ramp outside the turbolift. "Let's have a look at the eye, shall we?" She motioned to his Ready Room. Picard let out a weak smile and stood up to join his wife.

"You have the Bridge, Number One." Will saluted him as the Captain followed his CMO into his Ready Room. Once inside, she flicked her wrist towards the couch and set her medical kit on his desk. He reluctantly took a seat, glancing at her with uncertainty. Jean-Luc watched her carefully, trying to read his wife's body language. She was past angry now, but she kept running her hand through her hair, something she had picked up from Jack from during the time they were together.

"Beverly…" he murmured, desperate for her to say something. She looked tired and stressed, both emotionally and physically. There was a look of defeat in her dulled blue eyes that told him she wasn't going to pick a fight. She simply shook her head, signally she wasn't ready to talk either. Settling down next to him, Dr. Picard healed the bruise around his eye. Once she was done, she buried her head in his shoulder.

"Oh, Jean-Luc…" He quickly wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her into his lap. Beverly was completely still as he held her there, letting her take in everything that happened.

"I'm sorry," was the only thing he knew to say.

"I know." Her voice shook a little as she finally untangled herself from his arms and looked him in the eye. "It just came as such a shock, seeing Wesley stand there next to his father…"

"He is really excited," said Jean-Luc, trying to keep neutral. She smiled, busying herself by straightening his uniform. A single tear slipped unchecked down her cheek. "Hey, don't cry." She shook her head, a sad smile on her lips.

"I'm sorry…I just don't know what to do." A deep sigh issued from her throat and she brushed the tear aside. Jean-Luc fidgeted a bit beneath her weight and his voice was low when he spoke again.

"I would understand if you decided to…" he trailed off as her snapped up. For a moment they stared at each other before she burst out laughing. Startled he asked, "What?" Beverly arched her back so she could lean back over his leg onto the couch, still laughing.

"You are actually afraid I'm going to leave you for him," she giggled. The confused look on Jean-Luc's face did not go away. "You're threatened by him!" A hard look crossed his face and she tried to diminish her amusement.

"I'm not threatened, I just know that you loved him-"

"A long time ago!" she interrupted. "Goodness, you're worse than Jack. I tried to explain to him how I loved you and he didn't seem to get it either." It was Jean-Luc's turn to grin.

"You tried to explain our relationship to him? In five minutes?" This time they both laughed at the concept. "Beverly, there are some things about us I still don't understand. We led the most confusing love life in the history of the subject. Hell, most of our life on the Enterprise together no one can comprehend and you tried to explain it to Jack?"

"Well, I was mad at him, and you, and I was trying to make him see reason. I didn't go into details or anything…" With a smile she pulled herself back into a sitting position and placed her hand on his cheek. "Jean-Luc, I'm not going to leave you. You are stuck with me, like it or not."

"I love you." Beverly leaned forward to kiss him.

"I love you, too." Foreheads rested together they sat there in each other's arms until Beverly exclaimed, "Oh, shoot!"

"What?" The red head had hopped of his lap and rushed to grab her kit.

"I left Jack in Sickbay all by himself. He has no idea how to get around this ship."

"Can't one of your staff show him around?" Captain Picard raised wearily to his feet.

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of. The last thing I need is him talking to anyone-they think I'm mad as a hatter anyway…Jackson Crusher will not help the situation," she muttered. Placing a quick kiss to his cheek she took her leave of the room and rushed off to locate her ex-husband.

Unfortunately for her, Jack had occupied himself in her absence by talk to her head nurse, Alyssa Ogawa. When Dr. Picard entered her Sickbay, she could hear both of their amused laughter. As soon as Alyssa noticed her boss' presence, she tried to stifle the giggle, knowing Beverly had not had the best day so far. However, years of practice had taught her to read the tempered redhead and seeing the calm demeanor on her face, she allowed herself to finish laughing.

"Mr. Crusher, did I not warn you about harassing my staff?" Beverly tried to sound professional, but Jack saw right through it, and chose to play along.

"I'm not sure you mentioned it, Doctor. However, I will restrain myself from future harassment." Shaking her head as she put away her medical kit she heard him add to Alyssa, "See, she's trying to be mad at me, but she can't help it. You know, under all that 'Howard temper' exterior, she really has a heart of gold…a very frozen, hard to penetrate, completely hidden-"

"Jack!"

"What?" He wore that innocent look again. "She knows exactly what I'm talking about. I'm sure this poor young woman has been on the receiving end of one of your rampages, am I correct?"

"Never, sir," mocked Alyssa, winking at Beverly. "She must have reserved that for you." Jack pretended to be hurt, wincing as he pulled a hand up to his heart.

"I actually expected to get a bigger lecture after hitting Jean-Luc; she must have mellowed in her old age. Speaking of which, where is your new husband? According to you, I owe him an apology." Jack rolled his eyes in Alyssa's direction causing her to shake her head and leave the room, giving the two some privacy.

"We can all sit down and talk after his shift is over." Seeing his mischievous look, she added, "Like civilized people. I'm serious Jack, he feels guilty enough already."

"Alright, alright. I'll hear him out." They stared at each other for a moment before he sighed. "So you are happy?" A smile graced her tired features.

"Yes. Jean-Luc and I…" Beverly searched for the right words, folding her arms across her chest in frustration. "I love him with all of my heart, Jack. Please understand that."

"I will never understand it, but I can live with it if it makes you happy." Realizing that was all she was going to get from him, she reached for his hand.

"Would you like a tour? She's a beautiful ship, you know. Plus you can see what Wesley is up to."

Next Time:

_"Sir, I never knew Beverly Crusher when she was married to you. To me, her last name was something of the past, not the name of a wife. Everyone aboard this ship wanted to see them get together. Hell, we had a betting pool going for when they would finally admit their feelings for one another. In our eyes, Jean-Luc Picard was the only man for Beverly. The wedding was something we had wished would happen for years." Will let the other man take in his words. Taking another drink he wondered if perhaps he had said too much. So, when Jack finally did speak, Riker held his breath._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Ok, I know some of you were complaining about Riker apparently appearing to be on Jack's side with all of this. I wrote this chapter before the reviews were left, but I'm glad I did, because I know just as well as the rest of you that Will would stand behind Picard 110%. I just think he would be highly amused by Picard's unpleasant situation. So, I hope this puts our ever wonderful First Officer back into character. Oh, and I do love reviews. And I try to take your advice! So please let me know exactly what you think or if you have any suggestions.

Will Riker immediately spotted his prey as he sauntered into Ten Forward. Jackson Crusher sat in a booth across from his son. The two were catching up on the years that had been stolen from them by the clutches of fate. After ordering a drink, he joined them at the table.

"Gentlemen," he said as he sat down. "It's good to have you back Mr. Crusher."

"Good to be back, sir," said the young man with a grin.

"I believe a better introduction is in order." Will offered his hand to Jack who took it with a smile. "Call me Will."

"Jack," he offered in return. "I hear you've done a lot to help my son get a start into his career in Starfleet."

"Actually, I just kept him out of trouble. Your son is a bit of a genius. Of course, it can be a little unnerving at times." Seeing the blush rising in Wesley's cheeks, both men chuckled. "Then again, maybe it was him keeping me out of trouble…I could always blame anything on him and he could get away with it."

"That is not true. I thought Mom was going to kill me after the whole thing with the warp bubble."

"And yet, here you are." They all let out a laugh. "So Jack, I've been told to keep far away from you- any idea why?"

"If the order was from Mom, it was to keep you two from conspiring against her." Wesley glanced in amusement from his mentor to his father. It was like a dream; only in his dream there was one more man at the table who had shaped his life.

"Conspiracy? No, she's just afraid I'll find out all of her dirty little secrets and be able to use them against her like she does me. I don't know what Deanna-" Wesley cleared his throat loudly, but not in time for the dark haired Betezoid to hear him.

"Deanna what?" she asked in a sweet voice. Rolling her eyes at his sputtering answer she took a seat. "Good to see you again, Mr. Crusher."

"And you, Counselor," replied Jack. "Dirty little secrets, eh? Well, seeing as Beverly is fuming mad at me for hitting her husband, I can't see why talking to you is going to get me out of the doghouse."

"Smart man," murmured Deanna, smiling broadly at Will's disappointed look.

"However, I owe Johnny a few. I mean, it's not fair that he has a first officer who doesn't know everything about him." Jack sat back in his seat with a wicked grin on his face. Seeing Deanna's raised eyebrow, he hesitated. "Wait. Maybe this isn't such a good idea. You and Beverly are pretty good friends aren't you?"

"You could say that." Both Wesley and Will chuckled at the understatement of the century.

"Don't say a word, she'll tell her everything," said the Commander.

"All I was going to say is the man used to know how to have a good time…before he lost all his hair. Yep, that's it. Must be the hair. I mean what else would cause a man who used to be able to drink Romulan wine and still be able to fight a Klingon for some broad he just met to become so damn serious?" Jack's uncanny ability to keep his face neutral while telling the story caused Will to snort into his drink.

"Now, this story I have to hear," joked Deanna, leaning forward in interest. Even Wesley looked excited, but that could merely be due to the fact his father was talking; the young man had been wearing a smile since he came aboard the ship.

"Except he's giving false information. I would never had been in the fight if he hadn't provoked the Klingon in the first place." Jean-Luc Picard approached the table with an unreadable expression on his face. "And she wasn't 'some broad'. Her name was Rebecca and we saw each other for several months after that. " The Captain pulled up an empty chair from a neighboring table and sat down between Will and Deanna. A very tense moment passed before Jack's smile widened and he took the bait.

"Was that the same Rebecca who attempted to set our dorm room on fire?" Wincing, Jean-Luc shook his head.

"No, that was Katarina. Rebecca was the clingy one who tried to give the apartment a make-over." Both men visibly shuddered. Seeing the other three's confused glances, Jack elaborated.

"She had a thing for yellow. Lots and lots of yellow. I don't believe I ever looked at the color the same again. Of course, then there was the girl who slept with Walker to make you jealous."

"Ah, Rheanna," muttered Jean-Luc. "Too bad she was the one who ended up getting used. I don't think Walker had ever been happier I had ended it with a girlfriend." While everyone laughed, Deanna quietly observed the two friends' thoughts. There was still an uneasiness, but a smooth sense of familiarity had formed over the conversation, letting the two fix the broken bond.

"I don't know how you kept track of them."

"There were not that many…" Jean-Luc looked like he was tallying up in his head as Will and Wesley laughed and Jack rolled his eyes. Sighing, Picard stood up, saying, "Sorry to break up the party, but I have to stop by Engineering before Mr. LeForge's shift is over. However, Jack, I was sent in here to tell you that we apparently have a date tonight. I'm sure someone can show you to my quarters." Nodding towards the others, the Captain took his leave of the table. Deanna was the first one on her feet, taking the situation into her own hands.

"Wesley, why don't you come with me. I'm sure Will can show your father around the ship."

"I don't need to be counseled, Counselor," grumbled the young man. Nevertheless, he got reluctantly to his feet to follow Troi out of Ten Forward, but not before mumbling, "I'm not the one married to my best friend's wife. I think having your father come back to life is less traumatic than losing him in the first place." Deanna smiled knowingly and escorted him out of the room, waving at the two men as they left.

Will ordered another drink for the two of them knowing Picard would be a while in Engineering and Jack wasn't expected in Beverly and Jean-Luc's quarters for another half hour. There was a pleasant moment of silence reflecting the conversation that just took place and appreciation of the room around them. Finally, the older man broke the silence.

"I can't express my gratitude for taking care of Wesley and Beverly while I've been…" He looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "I was going to say while I was gone, but gone isn't really the right word is it?"

"No, sir. You have a wonderful kid. Like I said, he's smarter than I ever was so, to be honest, I enjoyed it. As to Beverly, she took care of me more than times than I can count."

"I guess you have quite the family on this ship." Jack was watching the people mingle around him as well as remembering the ease all of the senior officers seemed to have with each other.

"We've served together for a long time. You tend to get…attached." Will leaned back in his chair, debating if he should say exactly what was on his mind.

"Like Beverly and Jean-Luc?" There it was- the opening the first officer had been looking for.

"They always had a connection that was stronger than the rest of us. I chalked it up to you at first, to be honest. Of course, after a year or two, it became clearer that their friendship was built on more than normal acquaintances." Will glanced into his drink, trying to find the right words. There was a lot Jack did not know that he knew neither Picard would tell him. "They went through a lot over the years. If it hadn't been for that family feeling you mentioned, none of us would have made it. Everyone dealt with what came differently, but those two pulled each other up like no one else. By the time they announced they were seeing each other, no one was surprised. It just seemed, well, natural."

"Natural?" Jack seemed skeptical of the term and Will struggled to put it into words.

"Sir, I never knew Beverly Crusher when she was married to you. To me, her last name was something of the past, not the name of a wife. Everyone aboard this ship wanted to see them get together. Hell, we had a betting pool going for when they would finally admit their feelings for one another. In our eyes, Jean-Luc Picard was the only man for Beverly. The wedding was something we had wished would happen for years." Will let the other man take in his words. Taking another drink he wondered if perhaps he had said too much. So, when Jack finally did speak, Riker held his breath.

"I always wanted her to be happy if something happened to me." It was a statement that he had repeated over and over in his head since Q had placed him aboard the Enterprise.

"I don't mean to diminish anything that you two had in your own marriage, but she is happy and so is he. They bring out the best, and the worst, in each other. In my eyes, it was the best thing that could have happened to them. I consider both to be my family and I believe that our family is happy just the way it is." The last sentence caused Jack's dark eyes to flicker up to meet his companion's serious ones. They stared at each other long in hard before Crusher nodded his head very slowly.

"This ship means a lot to you, doesn't it, Will?"

"Not just the ship- everyone on it as well." Riker stood up, swallowing the last of his drink. "And I am very honored to have Jack Crusher on board. I can finally meet the man who so impacted the lives of three people I care very dearly about. Now, how about I show you to the Captain's quarters?"

"Sounds like a good plan. We shouldn't keep Beverly waiting." Jack reached out a hand to exchange a firm handshake. "I believe I am the one who should be honored. Your dedication to my family is impeccable, Will. Thank you for reminding me what I have to be thankful for."

Next time on _Keeper of Her Heart:_

_"He warned me not to do this," he whispered. Leaning down, he kissed her fully on the lips, his free hand slipping through her hair to hold the back of her head gently. It took her a moment to respond, but she allowed the kiss to deepen, running her hands up his chest to lock around his neck. There was no space between them as he pressed her back against the wall next to the replicator. His hands expertly trailed down her body, the body he so well remembered. She gasped as his hands explored and his kisses trailed down her neck. Her left hand grazed the exposed skin on his neck and he felt the cold metal of her wedding ring. Another man's ring. _


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Ok. This is a super long chapter. But I hope I conveyed it right. And I hope none of you are mad at me by the end of it. Anyway, your reviews are wonderful feedback! I love you all. Again, this chapter gets a little more intense so just a fair warning.

After a few minutes of walking and light small talk, Will Riker and Jack Crusher arrived at the Captain's quarters. A brief handshake left Jack on the threshold of his best friend and wife's rooms together. Will Riker's speech had left him at a loss. Stepping forward, he rang the door and waited for the love of his life to open the door.

"Come. " The door slid open and Jack took a hesitant step inside. Beverly was setting the table and she smiled when she glanced up to see who it was. "Hey, you." Jack let out a small smile at the comment that reminded him of the days he came home to her. Glancing around he noted the spacious space.

"So this is the life of a Starfleet Captain…I knew I was missing out as a First Officer," he joked, throwing his hands up in an exasperated manner.

"The life of the privileged," giggled Beverly. She set down the last plate and rested against the back of one of the chairs with her arms crossed across her chest. "Will always complained before Jean-Luc and I were married that this was way too much room for a bachelor. Of course, we only had to remind him that he wasn't married either."

"Good man, Will Riker," murmured Jack. Beverly rolled her eyes with an exasperated smile. She truly was a vision standing there before him. Sure the years had changed her, but that expression had not been lost in age.

"Oh great, you've been talking to Will."

Putting his hands on his hips, he humored her, replying, "Why is it you think this Riker fellow will get me into trouble?"

"You met him, you tell me." She uncrossed her arms and headed to the replicator, but Jack was quick to intervene, placing himself in her way. Beverly gave him a strange look.

"Actually, Commander Riker and I had a bit of a serious talk." He reached out to play with a piece of her hair, twirling it around his finger.

"Oh?" she prompted, unsure of his sudden advancement. Jack dropped the hair and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her so they were face to face, chest to chest.

"He warned me not to do this," he whispered. Leaning down, he kissed her fully on the lips, his free hand slipping through her hair to hold the back of her head gently. It took her a moment to respond, but she allowed the kiss to deepen, running her hands up his chest to lock around his neck. There was no space between them as he pressed her back against the wall next to the replicator. His hands expertly trailed down her body, the body he so well remembered. She gasped as his hands explored and his kisses trailed down her neck. Her left hand grazed the exposed skin on his neck and he felt the cold metal of her wedding ring. Another man's ring.

And that's when she pushed him away. Her cheeks were flushed from his actions and her eyes had a hard look in them. He moved his hands down to her hips and rested his forehead against hers. Beverly's heart was beating quickly and her thoughts were panicking. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the man holding her; her back was against the wall, literally, and she had no idea what to do.

"We can't…"

"Can't what, Beverly?" This time she pushed him back a little harder, forcing him to step back so she could move out of his arms. "Don't you love me?"

The question shocked her; it had not been what she had expected to come out of his mouth. It also was the only question that mattered. Staring long and hard at him, she took a moment to answer, but when she finally did, there was no hesitation in her voice. "No."

"No?" Beverly's response must have surprised him because he took a step back away from her. Pursing her lips, she held true to her answer.

"No," she stated again. "I care about you, Jack. You have always been in my heart and nothing will ever change that. I love that we have a child together; I love that we share a past that is full of good, loving, times. But I don't love you anymore. I let your ghost stand between Jean-Luc and I for too long. I am not about to let you come between us now."

"Sounds like you've made up your mind," Jack said simply. She nodded her head, determined to hold his hurt gaze. "But does he love you like I can?"

"If I went to him right now and told him that I still loved you, he would let me go. Without any hesitation he would give me anything I wanted even if it meant the end of the world for him." There was a bite to her voice as she defended her husband. "If he had walked in on us, he wouldn't have said a word. No matter how much it hurt him, he'd let me go."

"See, that's the difference, Bev. I would fight for you. I will fight for you!"

"But don't you see it? He'd give me up just to see me happy." Beverly threw her hands up in frustration. "Because he loves me. Jack, he already offered to step away, to let you be my husband again. Because he loves me more than he loves himself. Jean-Luc is my husband, like it or not, Jackson." Before anymore could be said, Jean-Luc walked through the door. If he noticed the awkwardness between the two, he never said a word.

"What's for dinner?" Beverly tore her eyes from Jack's to respond to her husband's question.

Jack lingered for a bit before excusing himself to the restroom. Passing the bedroom, he tried to ignore the thought of the two of them sleeping in that bed together. He had already passed a picture of their wedding day; both of them had been in their white uniforms, a classic Starfleet wedding, especially for two people of their age. In the picture, they looked blissful; Jean-Luc was holding his new wife in his arms and the beautiful woman looked up at him with a look in her eyes that sent chills down his spine.

Now he knew exactly what Beverly was saying. That look in her eyes, the one that could bring him to his knees, was reserved for another man now. All of her love had been given to another; all of her heart was held by Jean-Luc Picard. It was what she wanted, and as much as he hated it, he would have to figure out some way to live with it.

As he walked back to the living area, he noticed a picture on a desk. He assumed it was Beverly's from the medical journals scattered about the surface. There were two pictures. One was of the wedding party; he ignored that one. The other was Beverly and Wesley, both in their Starfleet uniforms. Tears formed in his eyes as he thought about the years he had missed; how she had to be a single mother; how Wesley had grown up only hearing stories about his father. All the times he had missed.

"Where did Jack go?" Jack could just make out Jean-Luc's low tones from the kitchen.

"Bathroom," was the short reply.

"Beverly, are you alright?" He didn't have a visual, so he wasn't sure how she had responded, but Jean-Luc quickly spoke again. "I know you better than that. Something is wrong."

"Leave it be, Jean." Even Jack could hear the tremble in her uneasy voice.

"I'll leave it be for now. We can talk about it later." Placing the picture back on the desk where it belonged, Jack walked back to the table. Jean-Luc was placing a bowl filled with some kind of noodles on the table when he entered.

Pasting a look of pure disgust on his face Jack said, "Please tell me you replicated that. I had enough of your cooking on the Stargazer." Jean-Luc laughed and nodded.

"I was always impressed you managed to eat it. Most of the time I just did it to piss you off."

"Why? For embarrassing you on your bridge?"

"Something like that…or I just thought your head had gotten too inflated." Beverly came from the replicator with another plate of meat.

"Must have been the latter. Jean-Luc never cooked for me when I embarrassed him on the Bridge." She motioned for the other two to take a seat.

"Well, most of the time you were right." A smirk spread across her face as memories rushed to the surface.

"You mean Beverly talked back to her commanding officer?" mocked Jack, helping himself to the food. "Never!"

"Ha, ha, you two are very funny." Playing with her fork she turned to Jean-Luc. "Hmmm, what about the first time I brought Wesley on the Bridge." He rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"I could have murdered you."

"What happened?" asked Jack, interested in hearing the story of his only son.

"Well, he let Wesley on the Bridge and was showing him around when an alert came over the comm. Naturally, Wes figured out what it was before any of his officers."

"That's my boy!"

"Your boy? I like to think he got my brains. Of course, he got your lesser half of common sense," she muttered causing them all to laugh.

The spent the next hour telling stories of the Enterprise, most relating to Wesley. There was an ease to the conversation and all three spent most of the dinner laughing. Jack left their quarters with a smile on his face. As Jean-Luc and Beverly walked him to the door, he turned to ex-wife.

"Bev, I understand now." Her blue eyes dropped to the floor as he took a deep breath. There had been no question of the connection between the Picards. Every glance, every smile, every touch had been so subtle yet so blaringly obvious. Jack reached out to shake Jean-Luc's hand. "Take care of her. Love her. And whatever you do, don't let her go. You don't get over a woman like her."

"Thank you, Jack." The sincerity in Jean-Luc's low voice almost made tears form in Beverly's eyes. It was everything he had needed in their relationship: Jackson Crusher's blessing. Jack gave them a quick nod and left the Captain's quarters.

Silence overcame their rooms as they cleaned the table off and got ready for bed. Jean-Luc knew better than to push her to tell him what happened. The day had already been stressful enough for her, the last thing he wanted was to push her over the edge. Pulling on his night clothes, he sat down on the edge of the bed and watched her brush her hair. Beverly was staring herself down in the mirror; the raging internal battle obvious. Gently putting the brush down on the dresser, she whispered three words.

"He kissed me." Her back was to him but he could see her hard expression in the mirror. Her blue unseeing eyes reflected into his soul. He could make out every line on her face and her jaw was tight. So many times he had admired her through that mirror before, but now Jean-Luc was unsure of how to reply and she didn't turn to face him. The revelation did not come as a surprise to him; in fact he would have been surprised if Jack had not made a move to attempt to win her back. The next words made him tear his eyes away from the mirror. "And I kissed him back."

When he did not respond, she turned tentatively away from the mirror. No longer could she stare at her own expression. Not now. Not after what she had done. "Jean-Luc, please say something." She needed him to get angry, to yell, to scream, to be jealous that her lips had been on another man's lips.

"What do you want me to say, Beverly?" He looked up from his position on the bed to where she was standing. Her fists were clenched and her body did not carry her natural confidence. She seemed to be cowering. "If you're going to leave me, please do it now, because I can't take not knowing. And I definitely can't take you stringing me along until you make up your mind. But if you plan on staying then get into bed."

"Jean…I…" She shook her head, still unable to forgive the incident.

"It isn't like you haven't kissed him before. You have a child together for goodness sake!" Jean-Luc suddenly jumped to his feet and reached out to grasp her forearms roughly, shaking her slightly, as if trying to knock some sense into her. "What do you want me to do? Tell you to get the hell out of my life? Clearly, you've been punishing yourself all night. I could hear it in your voice as soon as I walked through the door."

"Jean-Luc…" she whimpered, placing her trembling hands on his heaving chest. For a moment a dark look passed through his eyes as Beverly searched for some sort of answer. His grip on her arms tightened and he pulled her forcefully closer. Her breath caught in her throat as his eyes raked greedily over her.

"He kissed you. You kissed him. I don't give a damn. Because right now I am going to make love to you and you sure as hell better return the favor." His lips were on hers before she had a chance to answer and his busy hands tore off her robe as she attempted to shimmy out of it. It only took them seconds to find the bed. There was no gently caresses or slow foreplay. He wanted her here and now. It was unusual for her to give him that much control, but tonight she surrendered herself to his ravishing, letting him prove his dominance over her. And there, skin on skin, gasping his name, he reminded her exactly who her husband was; exactly who she loved with all of her heart.

**A/N:** Ok. No preview because I don't have to part that I wanted to put in this chapter written yet. But I figured you would rather have the update than have to wait another week for the preview. Also, the next chapter could possibly be the conclusion (but there is a chance I will split it into two parts). However, I will tell you this about the next chapter. Someone dies. Dead. Good luck guessing. :D


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